USPTO Patents Application 09866665

REMARKS

This is to acknowledge the rejection of all of the claims as being obvious based
primarily on the disclosures of the cited Matsuda and Yamazaki patents. In response, however,
each of independent Claims 1, 4, and 10 has been amended to stress the patentability of the
present invention as compared to those references.

In particular, each of the independent claims now stresses that oxygen is added
to a material gas comprising silicon fluoride and hydrogen, wherein the concentration of oxygen
atoms is in the range 0. 1 ppm to 0.5 ppm based on the concentration of silicon atoms. In this
regard, it is Applicants' belief that none of the cited references suggest the concept of purposely
adding oxygen to the material gas.

Looking first to the disclosure of the cited Matsuda patent, it is noted that the
Examiner correctly points to Col. 34 of that patent, which, when combined with Col. 15, implies
the use of a gas including silicon fluoride, hydrogen, and oxygen. However, nothing in that
patent suggests the addition of oxygen to the remainder of the gasified compound. Instead, at
Col. 15, lines 34-35, Matsuda suggests that a compound including oxygen must be gasified, not
gasification followed by the addition of oxygen.

The Examiner also correctly noted that Matsuda does not disclose the claimed
concentration of oxygen atoms, wherefore the two Yamazaki patents are cited. Applicants
respectfully submit, however, that no matter how one may attempt to combine the cited
references, there is no suggestion of adding oxygen to the material gas including silicon fluoride
and hydrogen. Again, although oxygen may exist in the compound which is to be gasified, there

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is no suggestion to add oxygen to the previously gasified product of silicon fluoride and
hydrogen.

25, of the Specification as providing support for the concept now stressed in the claims. Also, it
is emphasized that the claimed invention provides a high quality silicon thin film formed at high
speed and having excellent crystallinity.

For all of these various reasons Applicants respectfully submit that the
amended claims are all allowable, and a formal Notice of Allowance is solicited.

Applicants' undersigned attorney may be reached in our New York Office by
telephone at (212) 218-2100. All correspondence should continue to be directed to our address
listed below.

In conclusion, Applicants point to the paragraph commencing at page 25, line

Respectfully submitted,

Attorney for Applicants
Registration No. £4r& ^

FITZPATRICK, CELLA, HARPER & SCINTO
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, New York 10112-3801
Facsimile: (212)218-2200

NY MAIN 426898v1

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